Pinwall



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

L. A. ASPINWALL. POTATO CUTTER.

No. 499,002. Patented June 6, 1893.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2. L. A. ASPINWALL.

POTATO CUTTER. No. 499,002. Patented June 6, 1893.

4 5e Jiyz. E

r 2 a f 17 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS AUGS. ASPINWALL, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE ASPINWALL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

POTATO-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,002, dated une 6, 1893.

Application filed March 1'7, 1893- To all whom it may corwern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS AUGUSTUS As- PINWALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented an Improvement in Potato-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

In Letters Patent No. 485,160, granted to me November 1, 1892, a potato cutter is represented having a vertical plunger, hopper jaws, a knife for splitting the potato longitudinally, and knives in the bed for cutting the potato transversely.

In large potatoes there are usually a greater number of eyes at the seed end than at the other end, and a larger number of eyes in a small potato than in a similar sized piece of a large potato. I therefore place the knives in the bed more closely together at one part than at. another part, so as to cut the seed end of the potato into smaller slices and also to adapt the machine to smaller sizes of potatoes, and the screen upon which the cut potatoes fall receives a shaking motion from the movement of the plunger.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view at one end of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the plunger raised and the upper part broken 01f. Fig. 3 is a plan of a portion of the bed detached, and Fig. 4: is a section of the bed and the knife holders.

The long knife A is at right angles to the transverse knives B and the hopper jaws (J and D are geared together and pivoted as in my aforesaid patent, so that the lower parts of the hopper jaws will open as the potato is pressed downwardly by the action of the slotted plunger E, and in so doing the knifeA separates the potato longitudinally and the knives B separate the same transversely. These parts being similar to those in my aforesaid patent do not require any further description, except in relation to the transverse knives as hereinafter set forth.

Instead of supporting the transverse knives B at their ends in the wooden table or bed M, I make use of the flanged castings m, the top flanges of which rest upon the bed pieces M, and the vertical portions of such castings ex tend down against the opposite faces of such bed frame M and these flanged castings are Serial No. 466,404. (No model.)

recessed for the reception of the ends of the knives B, and these knives can be either lifted out or driven upwardly so as to be removable for sharpening Whenever necessary, and the longitudinal knife A rests upon the upper edges of these knives B and can be pulled out endwise from notches in the end frames Q of the machine.

In my aforesaid patent a stop is represented for one end of the potato, the same being upon the slotted plunger. 1 find it inconvenient to employ the stop upon the plunger,because it is not adjustable so as to vary the position of the stop in relation to the knives B; I therefore make use of a stop pin b which is advantageously made of wood and passed through a hole in one of the side frames Q, so that its end comes between the hopper jaws 0 and D at one end of said hopper jaws, and this pin can be driven by the blow of a hammer or otherwise in either one direction or the other, so that its inner end will occupy the desired position over the knives B, thereby indicating the relative positions of the end of the potato to such knives, and the knives B below the end of this stop b are placed closer together than they are toward the other end of the hopper because the smaller potatoes require to be cut smaller than the large potatoes, and with the large potatoes the seed ends should be cut smaller than the other portions, hence by positioning the knives B as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, the seed ends of the potatoes will be cut into smaller pieces than the other ends of such potatoes, and by the graded distances between the knives the potatoes will be so cut as to have about the same number of eyes on the average in the different pieces.

The plunger E and the fingers upon the lower end are substantially the same as in the aforesaid patent, but I find it most convenient to pivot the screen K near the middle instead of at the .upper end, and I connect the upper end by the chain c with a rocker lever d, against one end of which the projecting arm e strikes as the plunger is moved to its extreme downward position, thereby giving through the rocker lever and chain a sudden shaking motion to the screen K for causing the pieces of potato to pass over or through such screen to separate the small slices from the larger pieces, and the pin 1) forms a stop for limiting the movement of the rocker 1ever (1 and holding the upper end of the screen K in the normal position.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with a plunger and hopper jaws, of transverse knives placed at graded distances apart for cutting the potatoes into smaller pieces at one end than at the other, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a plunger and hopper jaws, of transverse knives placed at graded distances apart forcutting the potatoes into smaller pieces at one end than at the other, and a knife above the graded knives for cutting the potato longitudinally, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination in a potato cutting machine, of hopper jaws for receiving the potato, knives for cutting the potato into slices, a

plunger for pressing the potato downwardly out of the hopper, and a stop pin adjustable in its position for determining the place that the potato is to occupy in relation to the knives, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination in a machine for cutting potatoes, of knives, a plunger having fin gers for pressing the potato through between the knives and cutting it into pieces,a screen upon which the cut potatoes fall, a rocker 1ever acted upon by the plunger, and a connection from the rocker lever to the upper end of the screen for vibrating the same, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with means for pressing upon the potatoes, of stationary knives placed at graded distances apart for cutting the potato into smaller pieces at one end than at the other substantially as specified.

6. The combination with means for pressing upon the potatoes, of stationary knives placed at graded distances apart for cutting the potato into smaller pieces at one end than at the other, and a stop adj ust-ab'le in its position for determining the place that the potato is to occupy in relation to the knives,

' substantially as specified.

Signed by me this 6th day of March, 1893.

L. AUGS. ASPIN WALL. W'itnesses:

WALTER ALEXANDER", O. G. R'OWLEY. 

